Rotary engine.



L. L. REEVES.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATloN FILED MAR. 2. |912.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.y

Wouw 1,

L. L. REEVES.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. 1912.

1,152,045. A Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WW1/immo L.L. REEVES. ROTARY ENGINE.

` APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2'. 1912. 1,152,045. Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

LEWS L. REEVES; OF BELLE VERNON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTBJ ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 19.15.

Application led March 2, 1912. Serial No. 681,040.

To all whom t may concern i Be it known that 1, LEWIS L. REEVES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belle Vernon, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Rotary Engines, of which the following isa specication.

r1`his invention relates to rotary engines, and while especially designed with reference to internal combustion motors, it will be evident, as. the description proceeds, that theimprovements herein contemplated are applicable to any engine of the' rotary or turbine type adapted to be driven by any uid, such as compressed air `or gas, or steam.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details` of construction andarrangement of parts, whereby an efficient ro-l tary engine is produced, and the cooling 0f the same effectively accomplished, as hereinafter more fully described, illustrated,

- and' claimed."

1n the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of'an engine, embodying the presentinvention. Fig. 2 is a diametrical section through the same, showing the 'admission valve and its parts in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the admission valve, 'the intake pipe, and the by-passes, showing the carbureter and manually operated pump in elevation, and also illustrating the ignition circuits.

The engine contemplated in this invention comprises 'an outer stationary rim 1, provided with oppositely located side flanges 2, between which thereare obliquely set vanes 3, these vanes in connection with the side anges forming a large number of pockets 4f, the purpose of which will be hereinafter set forth.

r1`he outer stationary rim 1 forms the central section of the stationary rim or casing of the motor, said casing or rim comprising, in addition to the central section or rim 1, the oppositely arranged heads 5 and 6. The head 5 comprises a spider, or series of arms or spokes 7 connected to a common central hub 8 forming a bearing at 'one side for the shaft of the rotor, hereinafter described. The other head "5 is provided with arms or spokes 9 connected to a central hub 10 forming a bearing at the opposite side of the frame or casing for the shaft of the rotor.

The head 6 is also o'set to form a fan chamber or casing 11, in which is a fan, shown for convenience, as embodying a series of blades 12 secured to a circumferential fiange 13 on the shaft or central portion of the rotor, whereby said fan is maintained in continuous operation, during the operation of the motor for cooling the parts of the motor, which confines the exploding gases.

.The rotor comprises a central hollow shaft 14, closed at one end, as shown at l5, and extended at said end in the form of the 'solid shaft 16 which is journaled in the bearing 10 above described. The other end of the shaft 14 is left open and internally threaded, as shown at 17, to receive the casing of the admission valve, hereinafter more particularly described.

lll'he hollow shaft 14 forms a combustion or distributing chamber 18, which has in communication therewith the inner ends of a series of defiecting passages 19 formed by a corresponding series of hollow spokes 20 which extend from the hollow shaft 14 outwardly to an inner rim 21, through which the ignited gas is discharged into the pockets of the outer stationary rim l, as will be clearly understood by reference to Fig. 1.

The rim 21 extends entirely around with in the outer rim 1. and over the inner sides of the pockets 4, and said inner rim 21 is also provided at suitable intervals with exhaust orifices 22 flanged, as shown in Fig. 1, and provided with obliquely pitched walls 23 inclined reversely tothe direction of rotation of the rim 21, 'so that lthe exhausting gas or other fluid, by impinging against the oblique walls 23, assists by its reaction in 'the operation 4of the rotor. The vanes 3 do `not extend to the'rim 21, thereby leaving space forthe movement and reaction of the Huid.

1t will be observed that the spokes 20, in which the deecting passages 19 are formed,

n discharge their contents into the pockets if the exhaust orifices following closely behind the y.respective deflecting passages and exhausting the burnt gases immediatel.T after the same have expanded. Each of tinI spokes .20 is provided in one side with .a plug 2t which may be removed for the pur pose of cleaning out the spokes and deflecting passages, when required.

The stationary rim or casing has the sections thereof secured together, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, by providing the middle section orv rim 1 with lugs 25 which receive cap screws 26 passing through the heads 5 and 6 of the casing into said lugs. The casing is also provided with the meeting lugs 27, as shown in Fig. 1, secured together by bolts 28 or their equivalent, the lugs 27 also serving as supporting means for the motor as a whole, enabling the same to be secured to a suitable supporting base.

rlhe admission valve shown in detail in Fig. 3 embodies a casing which comprises a stationary section 29, and a rotary section 30, the said sections being connected together for relative rotating movement by means of a stuffing box 30 of the conventional type.

.The section 30 of the casing is threaded to screw into the internally threaded end 17 of the hollow shaft 14, as shown in Fig. 2,

` and is provided at its inner end with a valve 38, while 43 designates the gasolene seat for the admission valve 31. The admission valve is provided with a stem 32 which passes through a guide 33, and also through a block 34 in the rear end of the casing. The valve 31 is held normallyv closed by means of a valve closing spring 35 which surrounds the stem 32, bearing at one end against the guide 33 and at itsoppos'ite end against a loose collar or washer 36, behind which is a Cotter pin 37.`

Extending outwardly from the stationary section 29 of the admission valve casing is an intake pipe 38, in which is mounted a butterfly valve 39 for regulating the speed of the engine, by increasing or diminishing the quantity of gas passing thereto, said butterfly valve having the stein 40 thereof extending outwardlyA through the intake pipe, and is provided with an operating crank or extension 41. l

42 designates a carbureter of any conventional type, connected with the intake pip pipe leading to the carbureter 42. i

44 designates the casing of a manually operated pump, 45 designating the handle of the l@pump mounted on one end of the pump sha t 46. Extending from the pump casing 44 to the intake pipe and communicating therewith are two by-passes 47 and 48. Within the intake-pipe 38, between the bypasses 47 and 48,'there is an inwardly open ing check valve 49, while in the by-pass 47 there is a check valve 50 which opens toward the pump, and in the by-pass 48there is another check valve 51 which opens toward the admission .valve 31. v

In order to start the engine, the manually operated pump is resorted to, and by means thereof a charge of gas-is drawn from the carbur'eter and forced through the by-passes toward and past the admission valve, and` into the distribution or combustion chamber 18 of the rotor. After the engine takes up its operation, the suction thereof causes the gas to be drawn Afrom the carbureter to the engine automatically. In order to provide for igniting the charge in the combustion chamber 18, a spring contact finger 52 is mounted on the intake pipe, as shown in Fig. 3, and 'insulated therefrom by a block or plate 53. The finger 52 lies in the path of the stem 32 of the admission valve 31, so that as the admission valve reaches a closed position, metallic contact is established between said valve stem and the finger 52. From said nger 52 leads a primary circuit wire 54, the same passing throughy an induction coil 55, and battery 56, and being grounded on the engine or any convenient part thereof. The secondary or high tension wire has one lead 57 to the ground, and another lead 58 which extends to an annular metal ring 59, situated in the bottom of a, channeled or flanged fiber insulating ring 60 which is secured to the arms or spokes 7 of the head 5 of the stationary casing, as shown in Fig. 2.

61 designates a spark plug, the points of which are arranged in the combustion chamber 18, while connected to the outer end of the spark plug is a finger 62 which sweeps around inthe channeled fiber ring 60 close to the conductor ring 59. 1t will now be understood that when the admission valve 31 closes, the stem thereof by coming into contact with the finger 52 closes the primary circuit, and immediately the secondary current is transmitted to the ring 59 and taken up by the finger 62 of the spark plug, thereby causing a spark at the proper instant in the combustion chamber, the spark taking place just after the admission valve 3 1 has closed.

It will be understood that the motor or engine' herein described may be made of any suitable size, and while lonly one set of spokes and pockets have been illustrated, it 'will be evident that one or more additional kseries of pockets and spokes may be employed, according to thehorse-power needed. It will also be understood that the charges are successively exploded in the combustion chamber formed by the hollow shaft 14 and discharged through the spokes into the pockets of the stationary casing, causing the rotation of said shaft, from which the power generated by the engine may be transmitted to any desired point. l

It may be stated that the exhaust orifices 22 will be so located in the inner rim that the expanding fluid will react against the walls thereof after the discharge ends of the passages in the spokes have'passed on and are discharging into the next succeeding pocket. This is done to prevent the exploding gases merely passing around the vane and out at' the exhaust orifice. Suction is caused from the heated gases cooling rapidly in the central chamber before pressure has entirely left the ends of the spoke openings, and alsol from the fact that the explosive force causes expansion, and the almost closed surrounding casingprevents a return of normal atmospheric pressure by the admission. of outside air. Therefore,

' from the fact that these gases have cooled,

a vacuum must exist in the central chamber. This vacuum is responsible for the opening of the` admission valve, the spring of which is balanced to meet this 4condition, and then it is obvious that as soon as sufficient mixture has been drawn in to restore the central chamber to atmospheric pressure, the admission valve spring closes the valve and ignition occurs. It has been foundin practice that'in such a chamber as this, a vacuum of nearly three pounds below atmospheric pressure, exists after a charge has been fired, before pressure is WhollyV destroyed at the other end of the chamber.

What is claimed is:

A rotary `turbine engine comprising a stationary rim having oblique vanes on its inner surface forming an annular series of inwardly opening pockets, a rotor embodying a hollow shaft journaled centrally of said rim and constituting a distributing chamber, chambered spokes in communication with said distributing chamber and havin their outer portions disposed tangentia ly to the axis of the rotor, and a rim connecting the outer extremities of said spokes and .provided with exhaust nozzles the end Walls of which are inclined reversely to said Vanes.

In testimony whereof 1 afx my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

LEWIS L. REEVES.

Witness-es:

WM. F. COUGHENOUR, F. 0.' SPRINGER. 

